Lebni

So when I was a kid, I’d go to school with my brown paper bag lunch and I’d open it up praying for a nice PB&J sandwich only to find something that represented a pita “torpedo” sandwich that usually had something like Lebni, (think thick yogurt) crushed mint and few slices of a Persian cucumber in it…. dessert was not a Hostess cup cake… oh no, no friends, it was dried apricots. Yeah, try trading that with your school buddy. Fat chance!

At the time, I was absolutely mortified and wished that my Armenian roots were more like my nice American friend Suzy…who’s mom so graciously even thought to put a fruit roll up in her lunch.

In actuality, looking back my mom had it all right though. Drawing from my Middle Eastern roots led me to grow up eating something very similar to the Mediterranean Diet. Yes, that very same Mediterranean Diet that according to a recent study published by The New England Journal of Medicine’s Web site this past Monday, proved that about 30% of heart attacks, strokes & deaths from heart disease can be prevented if people switch to a diet rich in olive oil, nuts, beans, fish fruits & veggies… AKA The Mediterranean Diet.